Today, the Dallas City Council approved the receipt of a donation from by QuikTrip for the purchase of four new blocker trucks for the Dallas Police Department. The new Ford F550 units will be deployed to block traffic at crashes and incidents on freeways and major thoroughfares where first responders are working in the roadway. Each truck is equipped with an LED arrow board and a crash attenuator, a device attached to the rear of the truck to absorb the impact of a crash, protecting the emergency personnel at the scene.
Nationwide, blocker trucks have become a common method of protecting people and equipment at crashes, construction sites, and closures on freeways and busy streets. The Dallas Police Department rolled out the first blocker trucks in 2023 after the tragic death of Officer Mitchell Penton, #11654, who was struck and killed while working a freeway crash in 2021. Prior to that, the only available tool to block and divert traffic was to utilize squad cars or fire apparatus, which often tied up those resources for long periods, and were expensive to repair if they were struck by a vehicle.
“We are deeply grateful to QuikTrip for this generous donation to protect our first responders at accident scenes,” said Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert. “The company has a long history of supporting public safety, and this donation further elevates their commitment,” Tolbert added.
QuikTrip also provided funding last year to support construction of a container-based Reality Based Training (RBT) Village at the Dallas Police Academy and donated over $200,000 to Assist The Officer (ATO), a non-profit Dallas foundation formed to provide financial assistance and counseling for officers and their families.
Since the blocker trucks were first introduced, they have been deployed to more than 1,200 incidents and continue to be called into action multiple times a week. The trucks have also successfully absorbed the impact of five crashes in the last two years, saving the lives of first responders and members of the public. These four new units will complement the existing fleet and each patrol division with a freeway in its service area will have a blocker truck to utilize.
“When you see one of these blocker trucks at a crash site, slow down and give our first responders plenty of space to work,” said Dallas Police Chief Daniel C. Comeaux. “It is the law, and it will help keep our first responders safe.”
The Dallas Police Department reminds drivers to Move Over or Slow Down when there is an emergency vehicle parked with its emergency lights activated on the shoulder or blocking traffic – leave an empty lane, or slow down to 20 miles per hour under the posted speed limit, and to 5 miles per hour if the speed limit is 25 miles per hour or less. It’s a state law and can result in a fine up to $1,250 for the first offense.